This past weekend, Netflix released the second installment in their The Haunting series, titled The Haunting of Bly Manor. This series is not a sequel, but a follow-up to their previous series, The Haunting of Hill House, released in 2018. While Bly Manor has completely different characters than the ones in Hill House, a few of the same actors appear in both shows and the creative team remained mostly the same. As it is now officially “spooky season,” these two horror shows will definitely get you in the spooky mood!
True to the Story?
Both shows are based on novels, with The Haunting of Hill House being based on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 book of the same name and The Haunting of Bly Manor being based on Henry James’s 1898 novel, The Turn of the Screw. While both shows contain many elements of the books on which they are based, Bly Manor is definitely a closer adaptation. The storyline closely mirrors that of the novel, adding on side characters and stories towards the end. Most of the characters are the same as they are in the book, such as Flora, Miles, and Miss Jessel, and the main character, Dani, is based on the unnamed governess character. Probably the largest change from the novel is that the show takes place in the 80s, instead of the 1800s. Fans of the novel will still find the show interesting and creepy, despite already knowing about the most scary scenes. In the case of Hill House, however, the only concrete similarity between the book and the show is the description of the house and the characters’ names, such as Nell, Luke, and Theodora. The novel’s main story is about a supernatural investigator and his nephew who invite two guests to stay at Hill House for the summer and study the paranormal. The TV show, however, centers around a family of seven moving to Hill House and how their experiences in the house shape their later lives. While it is not necessary to read the book before watching Hill House, it does add an extra element that is fun to unpack.
The Hidden Ghosts
Some of the most talked-about “characters” of The Haunting of Hill House are the hidden ghosts. To add to the scariness of the show, the filmmaker decided to add in some creepy extra ghosts hiding in the backgrounds of the scenes taking place inside Hill House. Watching a normal conversation between two characters and then suddenly seeing a creepy face in a window or a dark figure standing in a doorway really adds to the element of surprise. There are over 30 hidden ghosts featured in the series’ 10 episodes. In Bly Manor, there are fewer “hidden ghosts,” but more appearances by ghosts that the audience is meant to see. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t any hidden ghosts lurking around Bly Manor, though. A few spooky extras can be seen lurking in the background of scenes. Still, the hidden ghosts were a huge part of Hill House’s success, and many were disappointed by the lack of them in Bly Manor.
Fans of The Haunting of Hill House, and horror fans in general, will love The Haunting of Bly Manor. Even those who don’t like traditional horror movies will find these two shows intriguing because of their interesting characters, updated plot, and beautiful cinematography and set design. Because of the hidden ghost treasure-hunt aspect, as well as the overall plot, Hill House is my favorite out of the two. These shows are a great way to get into the Halloween spirit. Happy ghost hunting!